Security firm looks to make new Seattle arena 'safest, most secure' venue in the world

Prevent Advisors confident their plan would make the new building, "the safest and most secure environment in the world."

Author:
Chris Daniels

Published:
2:21 PM PDT May 12, 2017

Updated:
4:11 PM PDT May 12, 2017

It's the dark side of sports, and a subject only whispered about in the shadows of any stadium complex: Security.

There has been a renewed focus on the topic. In the last year and a half, there has been a deadly bombing outside a Turkish soccer stadium, another explosion near a German team bus, and yet another major blast outside a Paris stadium.

"Suicide bombers, thank goodness, we haven't seen those in the U.S. yet, but by prediction is we will, within the next three to four years," said Mike Downing, former Los Angeles Police deputy chief, who led that department's Counter Terrorism and Special Operations Bureau.

Prevent Advisors.

Downing's now turned his attention to Seattle and a new arena complex.

Downing is the executive vice president of Prevent Advisors, which is working with the Oak View Group to design, build, and operate "the arena at Seattle Center." Prevent Advisors, which is part of the bid, would be the security lead on the project, and according to Prevent Advisors CEO Chris Robinette, has been part of the design process.

"The building is designed to be flexible, adaptable, and flexible," said Robinette, who along with COO Ben Tolle has served in the Army's Special Forces and in the global war on terror.

"A lot happens in the digital space," said Robinette, noting that fans will increasingly being using their mobile devices at games and events.

He pointed specifically to the Golden One Center in Sacramento as an example with the idea of a cashless building.

Downing notes that the new arena could house a "cyber intrusion command center," like one he pioneered in Los Angeles. In that case, he says L.A. installed sensors on 44 city departments to recognize cyber intrusions and what was being attacked. He says at one point, L.A. put an "attacker in the sand pit," to test it's own system. He says a new system in the Seattle arena could do the same, with tools like cyber "geo fencing tools," and the ability to monitor real time, in house, social media for threats.

Robinette says the company is also exploring new technology that would be a step above current metal detectors and yet "screen more efficiently and move people through faster." Robinette calls KeyArena a blank canvas for his company, but "we want to be part of making Seattle better than Seattle already is."

Prevent Advisors is working with the Oak View Group to design, build, and operate an arena at Seattle Center. Photo: Prevent Advisors.

The company has financial backing from Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff and his group, which includes the NHL's Florida Panthers Executive Chairman Peter Luukko.

Yet, Prevent did not want to say where they may already be testing security measures that could be used at a new arena at Seattle Center.

Robinette would only say he was confident their plan would make the new building, "the safest and most secure environment in the world."